


My Love, I Can’t Hide

by LexLemon



Category: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Genre: Awkward Hand-Holding, First Date, Fluff, It’s so awkward between them for a while, I’m embarrassed for them, M/M, Pre-Canon, Rick is SMITTEN, Rick is so awkward, Rick wants that hand so badly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon
Summary: Rick and Cliff go on their first date to the movies. Rick wants to make the first move, but his nerves try to get the better of him. Will it all work out in the end?
Relationships: Cliff Booth/Rick Dalton
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	My Love, I Can’t Hide

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

“ _At last,_

_My love has come along._

_My lonely days are over,_

_And love is like a song.”_

Rick Dalton let out a loud gasp as he emerged from the cold water, his face dripping wet as it hovered over his bathroom sink. Sure, his face felt numb as anything from the amount of time he was submerged, but the end result would be worth it.

Rick wiped off his face with a towel then shook himself out, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His face definitely looked cleaner than it had before, and the light tan from all the hours he spent filming in the California sun gave it a kind of glow under the lights. He thought it looked alright to go out.

All he wanted was for Cliff to like it. After all, they were going on their first date. How this afternoon went determined their relationship for the rest of their lives. If Cliff liked what he saw and Rick didn't act too much like a lovestruck buffoon, they could really make something out of this. And Rick wanted that more than anything. If he lost Cliff through his own fault, he'd never forgive himself.

Rick took a quick glance down at his watch and pounded his fist on the counter.

"Shit!"

He threw open a drawer and rifled through it, eventually pulling out a comb to brush through his hair as quickly as possible.

"Fuckin' hell, Rick, he's goin' to be here in a minute and you ain't even fuckin' ready."

A small voice in Rick's head began to ask why on earth he was making himself look so nice when they were going to be sitting in a dark movie theater for three hours, but he was quick to push it down. The least Rick could do was make an effort.

As he put a glob of gel in his hand and smoothed it over his brown hair, a sharp knock pounded on his front door.

"Shit, shit."

Rick washed off his hand then ran out of the bathroom, his feet leaping across his floor. He first rushed over to the radio to shut it off then stood before the front door. He took a deep breath then opened it, trying his best to hold in the gasp trying to escape when he saw his date.

Cliff Booth looked gorgeous as always, his blond hair beginning to trail down to the bottom of his neck. His blue eyes looked even brighter thanks to the jean ensemble he was wearing, from the jacket to the pants just covering the top of his moccasins. Rick couldn't help but grin at the sight of him, making him grab onto the doorframe to steady himself.

"Hi," he said in a breathless voice.

"Hey. You look good."

"Thank you. Y-Y-You look pretty damn good yourself."

Cliff chuckled as he ran a sheepish hand through his hair. "Oh, thanks. You ready?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I-I'm ready."

"Great. We don't want to be late."

Rick chuckled as he walked down his front steps, making his way into the passenger seat of Cliff's car. Once Cliff was inside, he turned the key in the ignition then pulled out of the driveway, making his way down the winding Cielo Drive.

"You haven't seen this yet, right?" he asked Rick.

"No. No, first time. You?"

"Nope. I heard Brando's pretty good in it, though."

"Yeah, me too. He directed it t-t-too, you know."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm."

"Damn. That's commitment."

Rick let out a small laugh. "Yeah, you're tellin' me."

"Have you met Brando?"

"No, no, not yet. M-Maybe someday though. You never know 'round here."

"Yeah, that'd be pretty cool."

"Yeah..."

Rick turned towards the window and let his nerves out in a silent sigh. The conversation seemed friendly enough. It was just as they usually were when they were on set together. But they'd been stuck at first base for months now. If there was one goal Rick was setting for that afternoon, it was to get to second and fast.

~

Rick had to admit that _One_ - _Eyed_ _Jacks_ was pretty damn good so far. He'd seen Marlon Brando in front of the camera plenty of times, and this one was no different. But it seemed like he knew what he was doing behind the camera too. If Rick hadn't been so busy filming _Bounty_ _Law_ , he might have auditioned for it. Oh well. There'd be other auditions.

Rick looked over at Cliff every now and then as they sat in the back row, their heads poised under the projector light. Cliff seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself too, as his smile never turned away from the screen. It was still there as a fiesta occurred in the western town onscreen, where Brando was trying to woo Pina Pellicer so he could get close to his old partner.

A small smile appeared on Rick's face as he saw Cliff's joy. This was definitely the right choice for a first date. Unfortunately, that blissful happiness ended when Rick found his eyes glancing down at Cliff's hand on the armrest.

It was right there for the taking next to him. Flashes of color from the lights illuminated it even more, showing off its pale form. Cliff's fingers wrapped around the front of the arm, perfectly having a firm grip on it.

Something was itching within Rick the longer he stared at Cliff's hand. God, what he wouldn't give to have his own hand on top of it. It just looked so strong lying there. If only he could know what it felt like to lace his fingers through that coarse, firm hand that worked day in and day out. He knew it'd be so much more gentle with him, softer than it was with others that held it before. Jesus Christ, Rick wanted that hand.

Rick felt Cliff's eyes fall onto him for a second, bringing him to quickly turn back to the movie. He cleared his throat as he did, making it all the more obvious that he'd just been ogling Cliff's hand for far too long. He mentally beat himself up for a moment but was quick to shrug it off. There was still a movie on, after all.

There didn't seem to be any more hiccups for the next hour or so. However, when Brando and Karl Marden were speaking to each other through a jail cell, Rick thought he saw Cliff looking down at Rick's lap. It just so happened that Rick's hand was resting on his thigh then.

Rick couldn't be sure if he had really seen that, though. It was only out of the corner of his eye, so it could have been a trick of the light. Still, the thought of Cliff wanting him in the same way was exhilarating to say the least. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

It was about five minutes later when Rick had finally had enough. Brando and Pellicer were seeing each other for the last time, and it was about damn time he made a move. He did a quick check to see if Cliff's hand has moved, relieved to find it hadn't.

Facing ahead at the screen, Rick took a deep breath and never looked away. He slowly raised his hand up from his lap and placed it over Cliff's, his fingers curling into his for a firm hold.

Rick had to fight everything in him to not let out a soft hum when his fingertips felt Cliff's palm, as he was in absolute heaven with how rough but sturdy it felt. He knew that Cliff's eyes were looking at him instead of the movie, probably looking at their hands as well. He didn't care if Cliff probably looked shocked or even disgusted by it. What made everything worth it for Rick was that Cliff never let go for the rest of the afternoon.

~

“ _Crazy_.

_I'm crazy for feeling so lonely.”_

"Shit, tha-that was pretty fuckin' good," Rick said on the car ride back to his house.

Cliff added, "Yeah, I'm surprised. It was pretty strong." He turned to Rick with a smirk. "I bet you would have been good in it."

"Oh, come on now. I might not have been th-th-that good."

"You never know. I mean, I could have seen you do that one scene at the end."

"Which one?"

"When they're in the jail cell and he's all like-" Cliff made his voice lower and raspy to imitate Marden's. "'You'll get a fair trial. And then, I'm gonna hang you personally.'"

"Shit, that was a great line."

"That's going to be a classic right there."

Cliff pulled the car into Rick's driveway then turned it off, letting them step out as they walked up to the front door. Rick shrugged and turned back to Cliff.

"Well, there will always be o-other westerns I can audition for. They're still makin' 'em like crazy."

"Yeah, you got that right."

"So I'll see you tomorrow, right? You're filmin' a scene?"

"If you are, then I'm sure I am too."

"Alright, great. I'll see you then."

Rick opened his door and was about to step inside when he heard Cliff call, "Hey!"

He turned around and was instantly met with Cliff's lips on his, soft but tight enough to communicate his passion. The initial shock soon wore off, allowing Rick to melt into it and kiss him back.

Once they pulled away, Cliff looked at him with those sparkling eyes of his. "I had fun today. We should do it again."

Dazed, Rick made several small nods with a smile. "Y-Yeah. Definitely."

Smiling back, Cliff gave him a quick wave then turned back to head to his car. Rick watched from the stoop as he drove off into the sunset, never wanting to lose sight of him. Once he was alone, he spun on the balls of his feet into the doorway, his head tilted back with a grin.

As he shut the door behind him, Rick let himself be consumed by the blissful thought that a simple hand hold in a dark movie theater would allow him to see the man he loved again and again and again.

**Author's Note:**

> Songs referenced:
> 
> “At Last”-Etta James: https://youtu.be/S-cbOl96RFM  
> “Crazy”-Patsy Cline: https://youtu.be/DXWCaQPXE_0


End file.
